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(Houston - March 1, 2004) After not being able to raise his right arm above his head in December 2003, A South African swimmer who holds the national record for the butterfly stroke, finished third place in the 100-meter butterfly finals during the South African Swimming Team Olympic Trials on April 19, 2004, qualifing for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.

Swimmer had winging scapula surgery in January 2004, performed by Dr. Rahul Nath, a reconstructive microsurgeon at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas.

Winging of the scapula due to long thoracic nerve palsy is a common diagnosis and should be treated as a significant functional problem. It must be recognized that scapular winging is not simply an aesthetic issue; the compensatory muscular activity required to improve shoulder stability is associated with secondary pain and spasm due to muscle imbalances and tendonitis around the shoulder joint.

Surgical decompression and neurolysis appears to be an effective and rational treatment modality in specific instances where supraclavicular injury to the long thoracic nerve is identified. Risk factors
for supraclavicular nerve injury include a history of vigorous
athletic maneuvers with the affected extremity, lifting of
heavy weights, and direct external pressure.

The serratus anterior is an interesting muscle, in that it has a dual function. In addition to being an auxiliary breathing muscle the serratus anterior also rotates the shoulder blade to position it for raising your arm. Without the serratus anterior, you wouldn't be able to raise your arm above shoulder level.

One of the most important considerations is how many times the doctor you have in mind has performed the operation you need. A new study suggests the answer may be literally a matter of life and death. Dr. Nath has performed over 2,500 operations for brachial plexus injuries.

Our clinic supports by far the largest number of patients with winging scapula injuries of the serratus anterior in North America. Most of our patients come from outside Texas and with the facilities of the Texas Medical Center (the largest in the world), we have excellent facilities for patients traveling from outside Texas. Our team is here to help you with your long thoracic nerve injury.

Patients from all over the United States and around the world have had nerve surgery by Dr. Nath in Houston, Texas.

We can help you arrange your travel and surgery plans for your winging scapula injury.

Patient with Medicaid please contact our office to find out if we participate with your state.

ALL INFORMATION IS PROVIDED AS A PUBLIC SERVICE AND NEITHER GUARANTEE NOR WARRANTY IS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.

This website is intended as an informational resource only for families and patients suffering from peripheral nerve injuries. No attempt to provide specific medical advice is intended. It is not intended to infer that surgery is always the best choice for a particular nerve injury. You should always contact a specialist directly for diagnosis and treatment of your specific problem, and a second opinion is always a good idea.